ENCOURAGING people within the industry not to engage with a transition panel established to advise on the proposed phase out of the live sheep trade is "irresponsible" according to the State's Agriculture Minister.
Speaking in State Parliament on Federal Labor's policy to phase out live sheep export, Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis re-confirmed her support for the trade on Wednesday, but said she was not above Federal law and accepted the issue was now a political argument and "would be a matter at the next Federal election".
"My concern is if we do not engage in the transition process, we will not get the support we need in Western Australia," Ms Jarvis said.
"I am campaigning very hard to make sure that we have some sort of support package available to WA.
"If something happens before the Federal election and that is not needed, so be it, but I think it is irresponsible to encourage people to sign petitions but tell them not to engage in the transition panel."
Ms Jarvis said she would be speaking to industry stakeholder groups to request their engagement with the transition panel, so if the Federal Labor policy is carried through to the next election, a suitable transition package could be provided for WA.
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The industry appears to be mostly united in its decision to not support any process which aims to phase out the trade, with the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) one of 25 peak agricultural bodies and farmers across Australia confirming it will not engage in discussions on the phase out the industry with the four person panel.
The NFF website states the group is united in not being interested in discussing a phase out of the trade.
"We're ready to talk about the facts of the industry's positive welfare improvements and the immense downsides for the economy, animal welfare, and our trading relationships if this activist-led agenda becomes a reality," the NFF website states.
Chaired by former Murray Darling Basin Authority chief executive and senior public servant, Phillip Glyde, the other members appointed to lead the consultation are agriculture expert Sue Middleton, retired Northern Territory MP Warren Snowdon and former RSPCA chief executive Heather Neil.
When questioned in parliament as to why the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development was still conducting work on its 'More Sheep' initiative, focussed on increasing the State's lamb supply, Ms Jarvis said it was due to the intention to maintain the trade.
"That is why I only reinstated the live export reference group within DPIRD after Murray Watt had been in Senate estimates and reconfirmed his position," Ms Jarvis said.
"Therefore, I was out there fighting for the industry."
The minister said her support for the live sheep trade had also been demonstrated by the recent reinstatement of a live export reference group, initially created by retired WA Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan following the notorious Awassi Express incident in which more than 2400 sheep died from heat stress.
The deadly voyage in August 2017 led to a Federal crackdown on the export of live sheep to the Middle East.
"I understand and I appreciate that animals are living beings," Ms Jarvis said.
"They are able to feel.
"They have positive and negative experiences.
"I genuinely believe that the changes that were made in live export after that appalling incident in 2017, which we all know about, put the industry in a really good place."
